One of the most exciting age groups in English youth football, the current crop of England U17s, will head to St. George’s Park at the end of January to face Belgium in a double-header. The two games will represent the first gathering of the U17s in 2014 and will serve as England‘s warm-up for their Elite Route qualifiers in March (Italy, Albania, hosts Czech Republic).

Belgium will certainly prove to be the sterner test that England are looking for, especially after the England U17s scored 18 and let in 0 during their October qualifiers. Belgium‘s recent rise to power in youth and European football will be the perfect canape for March. Twelve of Belgium‘s latest World Cup squad ply their trade in the Premier League and three of the Belgium U17 squad are part of English academies (Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea).

What England fans should get excited about is the return of the prodigious Dan Crowley, who recently scored two and set up four in Arsenal‘s thumping of Peterborough in the FA Youth Cup. Joining Dan Crowley will be Arsenal teammate and squad debutante Stefan O’Connor; two of the five Arsenal players in the squad. Sam Howes of West Ham United rounds out the goalkeeping options alongside the ever-present Dean Henderson.

Seyi Ojo of Liverpool retains his spot to add to the four Mersyside-based based players picked by John Peacock. There’s also room up front for Chelsea‘s Dom Solanke who has 12 goals in 15 U18 appearances. Adam Armstrong of Newcastle, who scored six times in the last round of qualifiers, will compete with him up front.

Jordan Rossiter, who has trained and traveled with the Liverpool first team will be one to keep tabs on alongside Fulham‘s effervescent Patrick Robertsand the aforementioned Dan Crowley.

Update: Blackburn Rovers winger Connor Mahoney has been called up to replace Dan Crowley, who was stretchered off with a serious ankle injury on his debut for the Arsenal U21s. Connor Mahoney made his Blackburn Rovers debut on 15 January in the dying minutes of the match against Manchester City. Connor Mahoney was signed by Blackburn Rovers from Accrington Stanley in the middle of December (2013) and is officially the youngest ever Rovers player at 16 years and 337 days.